i don't really know for sure, but for years, i never understood why do people tend to ask me if i'm a malay., especially someone new, a stranger more or less and it's really getting to my funny bone these days., it's flattering at times, but really, really weird..
SITUATION 1 :
O : zee, ni sabrina. sab,( points at the fella) zakwan, tapi kitorang panggil zee je.
S : ok. hi.
Z : hai. (long pause, looks at openg..) erm , awak tak kisah kan kalau saya nak tanya something..?
S : ok. yup?
Z : sabrina binti ape? muka awak ni macam kenal, anak kawan bapak say kot..
S : huh? xde binti2 la..
Z : dah tu? xkan tak de bapak kot?
O : dia bukan melayu la bodo..
Z : ye la, kalau india muslim pun xkan tak de binti kot?
O : ( laughed his ass off ).. dia bukan muslim laa!
Z : owh.. laa.., muka dia macam melayu la, mana aku tahu?
S : well. i'm not.. i'm definitely bukan melayu.. hahaha..
SITUATION 2 :
( people baca doa, in some ceramah dewan )
M : eh, awak tak baca doa ke?
S : kenapa pulak??
M : ye la.., awak tak reti sembahyang ke?
S : i bukan melayu..
M : ek? sorii..x3
S : tak pe..
SITUATION 3 :
( shop)
U : beraya kat mane tahun nie?
S : ( tak faham, but i answered anyway ) kat johor..
U : oo.. kampung mana?
S : entah la..
U : awak tak tahu? camne ni, kampung sndiri tak tahu..
S : ( looks at the unknown person strangely)
U : haiz, orang melayu muda zaman sekarang.. macam2.. ( takes his loaded plastic bag and walks away)
aunty at the counter : awak ni buka melayu kan?
S : ( tersengih malu) tak pun..
* the aunty laughs and tells another 3-4 people about what happened. and obviously, they laughed too. n i don't even know why.
SITUATION 4 :
( time bulan puasa )
My dad and i walks into this restaurant, and we were like sitting there, waiting for food to be served etc.
We had our breakfast and i headed for tuition. In tuition :
F : sab, awak tak puasa eh?
S : buat ape nak puasa?
F : ye la, kan sekarang ni bulan puasa.. takkan awak tak puasa kot?
S : buat ape plak ? i bukannya melayu, nak puasa buat ape?
F : awak bukan melayu eh?
S : ye la, u dunno meh? my dad kan indian..
F : tapi mak u melayu kan?
S : sejak bila plak??
F : ada, hari tu i nampak mak u, muka dia cam melayu je..
* a bunch of chinese fellas were listening to our super loud conversation, and they started laughing like no one's business.
F : jap, kalau awak bukan melayu, awak ni apa? Nak kata muka macam india, tak oun, cina, bukan, awak ni apa?
S : ( explains origins )
~ turns out that, she has only seen my mum and not my dad, because when she saw me in the restaurant, my dad was at the loo., so she figured, i MUST be a malay because i speak bm, and apparently i have, "colour macam orang melayu" and i don't act like an indian. I don't know if that's a compliment or a racist remark or whatever, but cool. It's very flattering in a way.. and a lot of fun.
And the best part is, i like watching certain faces drop when i consume sambal belacan. It's like i was born in England, raised in Holland and brain washed in Malaysia.., they find it so unusual to see me eating typical malay food., it's funny.
so much for being Malaysians. lol.
